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Clinton's official portrait as secretary of state. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That's the not-only-kidding question asked by a new article in Foreign Policy by John Norris, of the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning-think tank.

He begins:

Foreign policy has long been one of the last great bastions of sexism. But as glass ceiling after glass ceiling is shattered in Washington, the time has come to ask when one of the last great barriers will be overcome: Is America ready for a male secretary of state?

He wonders "whether a man would have the necessary endurance to do the job," pointing out that as secretary of state Hillary Clinton has visited more than 100 nations and flown about 900,000 miles in less than four years. Then he adds that "beyond just the raw stamina needed . . . others wonder if a man would simply bring the same skills to the table as does a woman," observing that many studies have found women more emotionally intelligent, better empathizers, and better listeners than men: "What skills could be more important for a good diplomat?"

To maintain his conceit that a man wouldn't be up to the job, he doesn't even mention that a man has served in it only four years out of the last 15 and a half. Colin Powell was secretary of state from 2001 to 2005; all the rest of the time since 1997 the position was filled by Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Condoleezza Rice. Unquestionably the glass ceiling has been shattered for good in a job that must be as difficult and challenging as any that exists. And Clinton has drawn strikingly widespread praise for her performance in it. Whether or not women have any innate advantage at that kind of work, it can't be denied at this point that they have no disadvantage.

John Norris concludes: "Maybe as Mitt Romney struggles to gain traction in the presidential race, he will be tempted to engage in some classic special-interest politics and promise to appoint a man as secretary of state. . . . We just hope a man would be up to the task."